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Shloka 333

Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)

विकर्षन्तो दिश: सर्वा: सम्पेतु: सर्वशब्दगा: । प्रत्येक शब्दकी ओर गमन करनेवाले कितने ही हाथी घोड़ोंसहित रथोंकी अपनी सूँड्रोंसे खींचकर उन्हें लिये-दिये सम्पूर्ण दिशाओंमें दौड़ रहे थे

vikarṣanto diśaḥ sarvāḥ sampetuḥ sarvaśabdagāḥ | pratyekaśabdakī ora gamana karanevāle kitane hī hastī ghoṛoṃsahitā rathōṃkī apanī sūṇḍroṃse khīṃcakara unheṃ liye-diye sampūrṇa diśāoṃmeṃ dauṛa rahe the

Sañjaya informa que el estruendo de la batalla se extendió en todas direcciones. Atraídos por cada grito y cada choque por separado, muchos elefantes—junto con caballos—aferraron los carros con sus trompas, los arrastraron y los cargaron, y corrieron desbocados por todo el campo. La escena transmite el caos moral de la guerra: una vez desatada la violencia, incluso las fuerzas disciplinadas son tironeadas por el ruido, el miedo y el impulso, y el orden cede ante una destrucción indiscriminada.

vikarṣantaḥdragging, pulling
vikarṣantaḥ:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootvi-√kṛṣ
Formśatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural
diśaḥdirections
diśaḥ:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootdiś
FormFeminine, Accusative, Plural
sarvāḥall
sarvāḥ:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootsarva
FormFeminine, Accusative, Plural
sampetuḥrushed together, converged
sampetuḥ:
TypeVerb
Rootsam-√pat
FormLiṭ (perfect), Parasmaipada, 3rd, Plural
sarva-śabda-gāḥgoing amid all sounds / with all kinds of noises
sarva-śabda-gāḥ:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootsarva-śabda-ga
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural

संजय उवाच

S
Sanjaya
D
directions (diśaḥ)
E
elephants (hastin)
H
horses (aśva)
C
chariots (ratha)

Educational Q&A

The verse underscores how war dissolves control and discernment: forces are driven by the din of conflict, leading to uncontrolled harm. Ethically, it hints at the tragic momentum of violence—once begun, it spreads beyond intention and discipline.

Sanjaya describes the battlefield confusion where elephants, reacting to cries and clashes from different directions, seize and drag chariots (with horses) using their trunks and rush about, intensifying the disorder and destruction.